Some friends and I are doing a tour of neighborhood taverns. This time we visited The AVG, Checkered Flag Tavern and Herrman Brethers Bierwerks. The AVG is definitely a neighborhood tavern. It's cozy and very laid back with high top tables. I ordered an Old Fashioned but mixed drinks weren't really on offer unless it was something like rum and coke. I had a beer. It was fine. We were there for about an hour and a half. I would definitely return. The vibes were slow paced. We moved on to The Checkered Flag. Wowza!! It was a Thursday night but the place was hopping. We were joined by another friend with plans to have a bite to eat. The menu is unbelievable. So much to choose from. We were kind of boring because 3 of us chose the same thing and the other two chose the same item. Two had the pork tenderloin. Both agreed it was excellent. Three of us had the BBQ Pork spud. It's a giant baked potato with butter, a good spread of pimento cheese, moist pulled pork, BBQ sauce, coleslaw and green onions. It was fantastic. Normally the pork can become a bit dry. This was not the case. Cooked perfectly. I was able to order the Old Fashioned. They apologized because they were out of oranges but I was fine. It was a very good drink. There happened to be two musicians performing. I was quite impressed. This tavern was very very impressive. We all agreed to return Our final stop was Herrmann. It's a small brewery tucked away off a quiet street. We were offered several tastings of the beers on offer. We were all able to find something to our liking. I had a porter. There are tables for four spread around the seating area. It's comfortable and definitely a neighborhood haunt. All three places were definitely neighborhood taverns. The Checkered Flag was hands down the best! Indy has so much to offer! read more

See all

I would have NEVER stopped in here to eat. I pass it several times a week as my office is not to far from this location. I was treating a friend to lunch and he suggested Checkered Flag Tavern. I paused. Looked at my Google maps and then asked him, "Are you sure?!?!?" Ugh!" To my surprise, the food was DELICIOUS! The atmosphere was a good clutter. The staff busy but attentive . I had the New Yorker and besides the loud music, I had a very nice lunch and will return. Thank you very much! As it goes, "never judge a book by its cover!" read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - The New Yorker - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

We sat by the side. We waited 35 mins just to get the waitress attention. We only saw her twice. Cooper who was running the bar was the one who filled our drinks (although he was running the bar part of it) NEVER did the waitress filled our drinks. Our drinks never got refilled at the end. Btw btw I ordered just a Coke. The waitress also served people who just sat down while we were already waiting for 35-40 mins just to even order anything. Not worth going back but hope everyone else has a better experience. I did enjoy the look of the place. read more

Last visit was a fluke. Tonight's wings were on point. The ranch was killer. Service was excellent! My faith has been restored read more

See all

Pleasantly surprised they use fresh food. The entrance wasn't obvious but there are two one off the parking in the back and on the side. We were greeted and told we could seat ourselves. This is a neighborhood spot with apparent regulars. The bar and tap are adequate. the decor a hodgepodge of Indiana racing memorabilia and race reference bumper stickers. The prices are good but they do charge for using a credit card. The service was good and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. We all enjoyed our food. The negative was the cooks without hair nets and long hair and beards. I think it is a good local option for a laid back super casual bite and beer. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Chicken Sandwich and Beer Battered Onion Rings - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Fun Indy 500 decor. We were there for an early lunch. Only 2 other patrons in the tavern. We had excellent service. We ordered a sandwich special that came with fries. The sandwich was on Texas toast, pulled barbecue chicken, American cheese, bacon and candied jalapeños. It was delicious! Also ordered a side of onion rings. Very tasty, not too greasy with a sauce on the side. We've lived on Indy's west side for 30 years and never stopped in until today. Glad we did! read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Onion rings - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

This is a fun, divey bar with a racing vibe, true to its Indy heritage. The walls are covered with interesting race car images and beer signs. Regulars were sitting at the bar and watching the Price is Right on the tv monitors during lunch hour. The bar is dark inside with a mix of tables surrounding a large bar. The menu says the bar has been operating since 1947. We were greeted and told to sit anywhere. The smell of Budweiser filled the air. The menu is a mix of barbecue/smoked sandwiches and wings, hamburgers, salads and more. Our server, Shawna, was bubbly and fun. She was the greeter, bartender and server for the entire bar. She was attentive and a 5-star awesome server. My husband had the special Steak Burrito which came with chips and salsa. The burrito was huge, filled with lots of steak, jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream. The chips were ok. I had the Bbq Loaded Spud. The giant potato is smoked. The toppings had a lot going on. There was a generous serving of pulled pork, coleslaw, and pimiento cheese covered with bbq sauce and green onions. The pulled pork was very good (except for several bites of fat). The potato was filling. Certain nights, they host live musiThere is parking in the rear with a rear entrance through the outdoor patio. They charge a premium for credit cards (so bring some cash!). Checkered Flag is a great stop (less than a block off 465) for a sandwich and beer. And a must visit for a race fans. read more

See all

A pleasant surprise at the bar/restaurant. Don't let the outside and the area fool you, inside it's decorated in racing decor. This would be a great stop for racers! The menu has a large variety to choose from. I enjoyed the brisket on the Southern brisket melt and more brisket on the Texas Jalapeño spud. Another party had the double cheeseburger. We all enjoyed our food! Our waitress Shelly took good care of us and did a great job read more

See all

Great neighborhood bar. Not fancy, but plenty of fun race themed decor. Bar tender was attentive and noticed when it was time for another drink. Food was quite tasty bar fare. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Fried banana peppers Pulled Pork Sandwich and slaw - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

I had the frog legs for the first time. Actually not that bad. But.... the best wings I've ever had! Had the bourbon glaze. A must!!!

Stopped by to check out the bbq and food. The bartenders (crystal and Jessica) were fantastic, the food was amazing and the people were great. Had a wonderful time. Truly and 5 star dive bar! read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

There's always an "interesting" crowd to be found at the Checkered Flag. Bikers, truckers, and local working folk are the regulars. And they are all very nice people....as are the staff. The menu is elevated bar food that goes beyond what you get at your typical neighborhood watering hole. And they have a BBQ pit that serves up some legit smoked goodies. I went with a burger topped with New Mexico hatch chilies. Pretty damn good. I like they provide malt vinegar in the little condiment caddy for the fries. Keep an eye out for drink specials. I got a big burger, fries and tall boy can of beer for $15. How many places can you get away with that in today's economy. Good place. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Double smash hatch burger - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

My bf introduced me to this place and so far the best dry rub wings ever, we typically go there for just that but I have discovered that they do have Friday live bands for a great rock and roll, blues and great vibes. The chicks who serve a very attentive and the bartender are fast. We will continue to go back... read more

Music was too loud to talk. Food was pretty good. Was traveling so not sure if I will ever be back

Cute place, My brisket sandwich was like dried wood chips. sent it back.Hubby liked his burger that he ordered PLAIN....(but had to scape mayo off and take all the fixing off) .there was only a bartender so service was slow, if you are looking for a "good ole boy spot" then you definitely found it... read more

See all

Good times good people! Food and drinks are even better, it's always a good time with the Checkerd Flag! read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Patio fire Pit - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Hint....look for parking lot in the back! Ample parking, service was fast, friendly and uncomplicated. The brisket sandwich was amazing! Loved the side of barbecue sauce with the outstanding fries. I would definitely come back here if in the area. read more

See all

Great messy food & great service & music. The Californians will be back!!! Buy a shirt & support local!! read more

See all

Had a great dinner at CFT tonight. The steak special was amazing. Tori was our waitress. She did a great job for us.

Damn! Burnt ends AND a tenderloin?!?! Yes. Sign me up! These are the best burnt ends I've eaten outside of KC. They were excellent. Check this place out. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Pork belly burnt ends - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Great food, great people. It's a 5 star dive bar, by far the best wings in Indianapolis. Check it out. read more

Went to the Checkered Flag Tavern for lunch and Bloody Mary's. There was a dart tournament going on. The build your own Bloody Mary's were good. All different kinds of mixes mild to super spicy. Different olives, peppers, meats, cheeses, vegetables to put in your drink. They smoke their own meat and the Chicken wings are very good. We also like their loaded tots they're huge. Just a neighborhood bar with great service. read more

See all

Why hasn't this place been on triple D? I have been twice, the first time was so good that I would often tell Indy locals about how amazing it was. Burgers top notch, fried mushrooms yum! Service is good, took care of us and even provided recommendations. everything I have tried was something I would recommend It's a Sports Bar, nothing fancy, simple setup, and it just hits the spot when you want good food and an adult beverage. read more

I had the BBQ wings and they were excellent. I also had pulled pork baked potato and the brisket sandwich which was also very good. The service was great as Shauna and Crystal took great care of me. read more

The front of the place seems a bit suspect, but there is a lot of ambience and history inside. There is some parking in the front but the majority is behind the building. They also have a lovely covered outdoor seating spot where you can smell the delicious smoking of their meat. The inside is very dive bar and awesome! There are posters, photos and memorabilia of the track and racing. You could spend hours just reviewing all the decor which gives it a fun atmosphere. You can sit anywhere and when we arrive around 6 pm on a Wednesday it wasn't busy at all. The menu had a lot of options so we tried various things - hamburger, Reuben and a spud dish. I loved my baked potato with pulled pork (given to my husband) and with pimento cheese and coleslaw. Delicious! The portion was huge and had great flavor. My husband enjoyed his Reuben and said the meat was done to perfection. The other items ordered were also proclaimed delicious and nothing was left on our plates! The staff was friendly and helpful, and by the time we left the place was hoping with locals both coming for dinner and various dart and pool games. Very fun spot for food and a hang out with friends. We will be back! read more

We came here on a Friday night and it was extremely crowded because there was a band getting ready to play. We sat at the bar top and the three bartenders did an awesome job taking care of us and also keeping up with the non stop crowd. We got the loaded Tater Tots, Fried Pickles, and Wings. Didn't take a photo of the wings because the food was so good we couldn't wait. They even quoted us 35-40 minutes and our food was to us in 15. Great place and an Indianapolis staple for a reason. Can't wait to go back! read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Stuffed Tots - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

This is a serious dive bar on the Westside. Lots of locals here all sitting at the big bar. The food is really good and cheap though. Pulled pork sandwich with fries for under $10. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Food is great! Best wings in town! It's a diamond in the rough! Went there for lunch and back again for dinner!

Chrystal was the most amazing server/bartender ever for our big group of 16 on Bloody Mary bar. She's a keeper! Food was excellent

So the pork belly burnt ends are apparently so good, they didn't leave any for me. Went with the bacon wrapped chicken tenders with bbq sauce and jalapeño ranch. Was pretty on point. Beer was copious and prompt. Now let's get to the service. Tori and Darla were moving, non-stop and making that good dive bar experience come to life. Tori anticipated what you wanted and had it in front of you. Super friendly and a great experience. Highly recommend. read more

We're passing by and needed dinner - checked the menu off of Yelp and we were sold. There is a decent amount of parking and the place was pretty full on a Saturday evening. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the barbecue chicken and the brisket - both with salads and no bread. The chicken was pretty good - and the homemade barbecue sauce was delicious. The brisket was over the top tasty. Portions were decent sized and prices were very fair.The salad was meh - but the homemade ranch dressing was really good. Two country guitar players / singers were exceptional. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Chopped BBQ Brisket - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Great spot to check out while I was in town for the Indy game. I had the tenderloin sandwich (huge!), which was delish! Great people in this bar., plus it happened to be Halloween weekend, so costumes everywhere. Great time! So it was a great time, and I would definitely go again. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Crystal was such a great server/bartender on Sunday am! She kept us entertained and treated us like family! Food and drinks were so good and we will most definitely be back! Thank you again Crystal! read more

Tori provided great service for food and drinks. Really a great personality. We will return to the Checkered Flag Tavern.

Great little hole in the wall place with great food and good service. Prices are very cheap considering the quality of food

We have been to Checkered Flag several times. On this visit I ordered the regular order of smoked wings with the Bourbon glaze. It was 11 wings for $14. They were tasty! My husband also ordered fried pickles. We didn't order any cocktails because it was karaoke night and we are not fans. So we ate dinner and headed out. read more

See all

This place has the most amazing menu! Everything we have tried (four trips so far) has been outstanding. The only qualm I have is I find it difficult to narrow my choices to order. A simple, friendly bar atmosphere that welcomes everyone with great food at reasonable prices. What more could you ask for? read more

Definitely a biker bar. A little noisy, as expected. Good food. They have their own Smoker House! Tight parking- you may have to park on the street. Good positive atmosphere, good service. read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Front of menu - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

If you're looking for a hole in the wall bar, that still has the hole in the wall essence, yet doesn't smell like smoke and has good food, congratulations because this is the spot. I pass this place all the time and always thought it was a liquor store for some reason. One day, I was really in the mood for wings and wanted to try somewhere new. This place appeared as a recommendation on a Facebook group, so I thought why not? We came in on a Saturday night and snagged the last 2 seats at the bar. Even though it was busy and the band was about to start, our bartender greeted us in a proper amount of time. She was friendly and made sure we were good at all times. I ordered peanut butter and jelly wings (yolo), and garlicky ranch. I also ordered a cheese fries app for my husband and I to share. These wings were AWESOME. They're hands down one of the best wings I've had in indy. They had plenty of sauce on them and had a lot of meat. I was a little disappointed in the cheese fries- not for the taste, but the size. A $10 appetizer shouldn't be served on what felt like was a side plate. Definitely coming back soon to try more wing sauces! So glad we stopped by! read more

Checkered Flag Tavern - Wings - Pubs Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

See all

Great food prices and beer prices. Always a great experience and take care of the locals. Classic Indy 500 decorations